Read More

On July 19, Catherine jnr’s sister Kellie Purcell - who lived nearby but had not visited for six months - asked if the box room was ready to move their mum into.

Catherine jnr replied: “No have I f*** girl I can’t be assed what’s the point am going to jail any how so dads keeps telling me”.

Mr Purcell – a convicted benefit cheat – told the jury this was a “joke” he said to his wife and he had been “winding her up”.

He claimed bedridden Mrs Purcell used to drink eight cans of Stella a day and smoked 100 cigarettes daily when she died.

Mr Purcell said she could be “nasty”, “difficult” and “violent”, didn’t like doctors and made him promise not to put her in a nursing home.

He said his wife was doubly incontinent, so he regularly changed her pyjamas and bedding, and took meals and medication up to her.

The retired labourer said he didn’t think Catherine jnr, whose bedroom was full of rubbish, “was very well”, but they did their best.

John Purcell, 72, and Catherine Purcell junior, 35, denied and were acquitted of the manslaughter of Catherine Purcell senior, 68

Mr Purcell said he saw flies but not “maggots wriggling” and that he didn’t spot his wife’s multiple sores – only a “scratch” on her thigh.

He said cleaning upstairs was Catherine jnr’s job, but Mrs Purcell didn’t want her room doing and “if that’s the way she wanted to live, then I let her do it”.

Mr Purcell denied preventing nurses seeing her, or that his daughter asked him to call a doctor on July 10, but he refused unless she cleaned the room first.

The great-grandad also denied that on July 23, he confirmed to Catherine jnr that she was dying, and would have called an ambulance had he known.

Nigel Power, QC, defending Mr Purcell, said the family were "set up to fail" by Mersey Care staff, who assumed they wouldn't cope and would realise she needed residential care.

He said Mr Purcell could have walked away, but for five years he cared for his wife to a good standard and "carried on in difficult circumstances".

Mr Power said his client was now in poor health, adding: "He is a man who has lost his wife and who has had this matter hanging over him for a long, long time."

He urged the judge to spare him jail, adding: "In very difficult circumstances for a long time, he provided good care for his wife."

Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Julian Hamilton / Daily Mirror)

John McDermott, QC, defending Catherine jnr, said she had looked after her alcoholic mum from the age of 13 and suffered depression.

He said the stressed single mum "loved her mother" and cared for her “best mate” for 20 years without any support from her siblings.

Mr McDermott said: "Catherine Purcell jnr has had in effect no life. She sacrificed her own life for her mother."

Justice Holgate said Miss Purcell's culpability was less serious given the effects of her mental illness, stress, sleep deprivation, inability to cope and the "overbearing" behaviour of her dad.

The judge said she made "a considerable personal sacrifice which should be given very substantial weight" and had "shown genuine remorse".

However, he said: "Mr Purcell’s dominant influence in the household was an important reason why steps were not taken to seek outside help. He refused offers of assistance from health and social services on three or five occasions.

"Second, with the help of his other daughter he moved Mrs Purcell’s body to a different bedroom with clean sheets as an attempt by him to conceal the conditions of the room in which she had died."

He said Mr Purcell "pigheadedly" stuck to the view Mrs Purcell’s wishes about her treatment should be respected, adding it "should have been obvious to him that that was plainly against her best interests".

Justice Holgate said: "I am certain that he lied repeatedly when he insisted to the jury that he had not seen the conditions I have just described.

"He lied about the final weekend of his wife’s life, when he said, “she did not look really bad” and that he had prepared food for her in the normal way, even a Sunday lunch.

"She was suffering from malnutrition and in no fit state to eat. She took paracetamol to cope with the pain. He lied when he said that he did not think his wife needed medical help."

The judge said Miss Purcell was sorry but her dad maintained he did not neglect his wife, did nothing wrong and had shown "no remorse".

He gave Catherine jnr 35 days of rehabilitation, 120 hours of unpaid work and a two-month home curfew, from 8pm to 7am daily, and handed her dad 10 days of rehabilitation, 270 hours of unpaid work and a three-month home curfew, from 8pm to 7am daily.

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust told the ECHO it had launched an internal investigation into the care its staff provided to Mrs Purcell.

Merseyside Police and Knowsley Council are encouraging the community to be vigilant about abuse or neglect and report any concerns to Knowsley's Adult Safeguarding Unit on 0151 443 2600 or Merseyside Police on 101 (or 999 in an emergency situation).

In addition, if you are a carer, a range of help and support is also available to help you in your caring role, supporting not only the person you care for but also ensuring that you receive the support you need, by calling 0151 443 2600.